Improvement in the manufacture op wrought-iron



and exact description thereof.

My invention consists in mixing together molten ilinitrfl fitting WlLLlAM M. LYON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 90,373, dated May 25, 1869.

INIPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. Lxou, of the city of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Wrought-Iron; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

east-iron and solid carbonor carbonaceous matter, such as anthracite coal, charcoal, coke, 870., crushed, or pulverized in such manner and in such proportions as to,

produce a solid, as distinguished from a fluid mass, mixture, or conglomerate.

I take the castiron, either directly from the blastfurnacc, or remelt it, the latter being the preferable mode. For the carboniferons ingredient, I employ anthracite coal, charcoal. coke, or other suitable substance having a large percentage of carbon. Such carbonaceous material I crush, or pulverizc to any desirable degree of fineness, say small kernels, or grains, or even to a fine powder. I then mix the two, that is,

the molten iron and pulverized coal or other carbon,

well together, either by running the two together into a mould, basin, pan, or other receptacle, or by running the molten iron on to a bed, or layer of pulverized coal,

and, as it runs, feed in or on, or mix in continuously, a suff cient amount of the pulverized coal, or other carbon, to congeal, or solidify the iron as it runs.

Ifa mould, basin, pan, or trough be used, I place a small amount of the pulverized coal in the bottom thereof, run in the iron in a small stream, or streams, and at the same time feed in the carbonaceous matter in sufficient quantity to cause the iron to congeal, or set. In this way a solid (as distinguished from a fluid) mass is built up, until the mould or other receptacle is full.

The full mould beingremoved, the streams are turned into another, and so on successively, or several moulds, if preferred, may be filled at the same time, by being placed on a revolving table, which being rotated, brings the moulds successively under the streams, or feeds of iron and coal. The rotating and feeding may be kept up till all are full. Thus a small quantity or layer of iron and coal is fed into each mould successively, and such layer allowed to solidify completely before another layer is fed on to it.

The ingots then being removed from the moulds, either whole or broken up, are a loose, spongy mix.- ture, or conglomerate of cast-iron and carbonaceous matter, somewhat akin, in their appearance, to what is called pig-bloom.

The excess of carbon. not combined with the iron, falls out. But if the mixing be done on the floor, as first above described, or on a table, the excess of coal may be screened out, when the mixture, or conglomerate will have the appearance of what is called pigscrap. In either case a large percentage of carbon is combined with the cast-iron, in such a way as to be of great utility in the subsequent re-treating, by which, with or without the addition of oxygenbearing metals or compounds, the process is completed.

The conglomerate, thus formed, I then place in a puddlingfurnace, with or without cinder or other oxide, and raise it to a high temperature.

If the furnace is charged with the conglomerate in the form of pig-bloom, it may, when heated, be broken up, so as to be more olTect-ually acted 'on by the oxides,

if such be used, or otherwise, by the atmospheric air which passes through the furnace. In the former case, along \riththe charge of conglomerate, whether in the form of pig-bloom or pig-scrap, I feed into the furnace suliicient cinder. or other oxygenbearing metal or compound, so that when the latter is melted, it will cover entirely or partially form a bath for the conglomcrate.

It will be found that the conglomerate willnot'boil; that it comes quicker to nature than common pig-metal, eitherpuddled or boiled; andthat a larger percentage of yieldof malleable or wrought-iron will be secured, in consequence of the action of the excess of carbon in the conglomerate on the cinder or other oxide employed; also, that a better and purer quality of iron will be produced, since the carbon of the conglomerate isa powerful reagent in expelling metalloids and other impurities which the iron may contain. But if a charge of cinder be not introduced into the furnace along with the conglomerate, the converting-action will still take place, and it will be found, that without boiling, the conglomerate will come to nature more quickly than pig-metal by the puddling-process, andthat the carbon will still act as a reagent, as before, to secure greater purity of product,

But I do not limit myself to any particular process for treating the pig-bloom or pig-scrap subsequently to its manufacture, as the process of treatment may be varied considerably, according to the quality of the iron used in the conglomerate, or the quality or quantity desired in the final product. Oxides, in diiferent quantities or of different qualities, may be introduced into the furnace along with the charge of" conglomerate, or none atall:

The product secured by the making of such conglomerate, and the subsequent treatment thereof as indicated, may be worked, or manipulated in the usual manner, or any mode known to the art. When raised to a welding-heat, it may be balled, pressed, squeezed, hammered,,rol led, o1 otherwise worked according to any of the known methods for the treatment of wrought iron, and with like results, except that the wroughtiron produced will be. superior in quality, and, in most cases, greater in quantity.

I am aware that pulverized carbonaceous substances have been introduced into or mixed with fluid castiron in the puddling-furnace, but in this process, as

above described, the carbons are introduced into the cast-iron under different conditions, and with different such manner and in such. relative quantities that the union, or intermixing of the two shall produce a solid (as distinguished from fluid) mixture.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In the manufacture of wrought-iron, the production of a solid mixture, or conglomerate of cast-iron and anthracite coal, charcoal, coke, or other like substances containing a large percentage of carbon, by so uniting or intermixiug the molten iron and crushed,

or pulverized carbonaceous matter, that such uniting,

or intermixing shall result in a solid product, substantially as above described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a solid mixture, or conglomerate'of cast-iron and carbonaceous matter, produced by uniting, or intermixing with castircn, in a fluid state, crushed, pulverized, or finely-divided anthracite coal, charcoal, coke, or other like carbonaceous substances, in a solid state, in such manner and relative proportions'as to produce a solid product.

In testimony whereof, I, the said WILLIAM M. LYON, have hereunto set my hand.

, WILLIAM M. LYON.

- Witnesses:

JOHN GLENN, G. -H. Gamsrr. 

